breaking news on "america this morning," devastating toll. >> over 8,000 people who were beloved members of their families are not coming back. >> the past 24 hours have officially been the third deadliest day in american history. one-third of the country now facing critical hospital shortages. and now all eyes on the fda. what we're learning about today's fda committee meeting that will decide the fate of pfizer's covid vaccine after news of an unexpected side effect and the scramble to prepare for the emergency rollout, the role fedex and u.p.s. will play. on the hunt, the criminal investigation into hunter biden. the details just coming out. how the president-elect's son is responding and why he wasn't notified until this week.

facebook breakup? the new lawsuit threatening to force facebook to sell instagram. is the social giant blocking the competition? the company fights back. plus, explosive test flight. what caused this spacex disaster and why some still claim it was a success. the cookie shortage just in time for the holidays. making a spectacle. the message about eyeglasses that's going viral. good thursday morning. we learned overnight that the u.s. has set a new record for the number of coronavirus deaths in one day. >> more than 3,000 lives were lost in the past 24 hours, and today is a pivotal day because an fda committee will meet to deliberate the safety of pfizer's vaccine, which has now been approved by three countries including canada. >> yet the real challenge may be convincing americans to get

vaccinated. only 47% said they plan to get the shot if it's approved. 26% said no. 27% were unsure. >> meanwhile, many hospitals across this country are entering full crisis mode. overnight the united states marking its deadliest day of the pandemic. more than 3,000 deaths in 24 hours. >> people still don't think this is a big deal. they think it's kind of fake news or a little bit of a hoax or what have you. it's not. it's real. the numbers are absolutely real. >> reporter: yesterday was the third deadliest day in u.s. history surpassing the 9/11 attacks while almost every other day in the last week saw a higher death toll than the attack on pearl harbor. the milestone coming hours before an fda committee meets to decide whether to approve pfizer's use for emergency use. an unexpected side effect is one topic of discussion. >> expectation would be subjects with known severe reaction, allergic reactions should not

take the vaccine until we understand exactly what happened here. >> reporter: out of thousands in the uk who received the shot two people, both health care workers, had allergic reactions and recovered. both had a history of severe allergies and carry epipens. despite the complication one of the fda advisers set to vote today says he feels good about the vaccine. >> it appears to me from reviewing the documents the appropriate safety design was in there and that we should feel good about where we are now. >> reporter: the focus, distributing the shot across america. pfizer already staging a dry run. >> that's the whole reason we're doing this exercise today. to find out if we have any friction points, any areas we need to improve on. >> reporter: acting defense secretary chris miller touring the freezers that's will keep the vaccine at 94 degrees below zero. >> i'm nervous. >> reporter: and shipping giants are working with the military to optimize delivery with fedex and u.p.s. each handling half of the country. experts warn high demand for the vaccine could lead to a frenzy but small towns are facing a different problem. the vaccines are shipped in groups of a thousand and must be

used within 30 days of opening, which means hospitals in rural areas may face challenging doling out all of the vaccines in time. many of those small towns are currently the hardest hit by the virus. more than one-third of americans are now living in areas where there is a critical shortage of icu beds. >> it's already not sustainable. we are already running out of emergency room beds and we're running out of icu beds and running out of ppe. like i said, nursing staff, we're short nursing staff and respiratory therapy staff. >> so many struggles there. and if approved, the first vaccines will go to nursing home residents and staff and high risk health care workers. each state will oversee its own distribution plan. hunter biden is facing a federal criminal investigation into his taxes. the justice department is reportedly looking into his business dealings in china. sources say the investigation began in 2018 before his father's campaign and hunter biden says prosecutors just told him about the case this week. his finances and foreign business dealings have been under scrutiny by president trump and trump's allies.

hunter biden addressed the issue during an exclusive interview with abc's amy robach last year. >> you were paid $50,000 a month for your position. >> look, i'm a private citizen. one thing that i don't have to do is sit here and open my kimono as it relates to how much money i make or didn't make but it's all been reported. >> in a statement, hunter biden says he takes the investigation seriously and said, quote, i am confident that an objective review of these marys will demonstrate that i handled my affairs legally and appropriately. a source says the u.s. attorney's office in delaware waited to notify hunter biden because of sensitivities around the 2020 election. now facebook under fire. facing lawsuits from the federal government and dozens of states which claim the company is in a nonlegal monopoly.

they're demanding facebook sell instagram and whatsapp but the company is now firing back. abc's alex presha has the latest from washington. alex, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, kenneth. so facebook owns four, four of the ten most downloaded apps and now dozens of states and the federal government are saying enough is enough. this morning, the stage is set for a possible breakup of facebook. the social media giant is facing two major antitrust lawsuits calling for the company to sell off instagram and whatsapp. >> billions were thrown at smaller companies in an effort to get them to sell. the two most glaring examples of this unlawful scheme were instagram and whatsapp. >> reporter: the u.s. government accuses facebook of anti-competitive practices claiming the company illegally acquired potential competitors in a, quote, predatory manner. in a separate lawsuit, 48 states attorneys general accuse the company of stifling competition to protect its monopoly power. >> you know, facebook has argued for awhile that they face a number of competitors out there, whether it's tiktok or twitter. the reality is it's sort of in a league of its own. facebook itself is massive. the most likely outcome of this lawsuit is a settlement of some sort. >> reporter: facebook purchased

instagram in 2012 for $1 billion and then whatsapp for 19 billion two years later. the ftc signed off on both acquisitions. facebook is vowing to fight any legal challenges saying antitrust laws exist to protect consumers and promote innovation, not to punish successful businesses. ceo mark zuckerberg saying this to congress earlier this year -- >> when amazon bought whole foods, they could compete against kroger's and walmart. when facebook bought whatsapp we could compete against telcos who used to charge 10 cents a text message but not anymore. now people can watch videos, get groceries delivered and send private messages for free. that's competition decision. >> reporter: legal experts say the case against facebook is strong. legal filings include an email from mark zuckerberg in 2008 in which he allegedly said, quote, better to buy than to compete. kenneth and mona. >> all right. alex presha there in washington, thank you. a man scheduled to be executed by the federal

government today is getting some high-profile help in hopes of saving his life. brandon bernard is 40 years old. he's been in prison since taking part in the 1999 murder of two youth ministers in texas. bernard's case has stirred debate over punishing young offenders because he was 18 at the time. kim kardashian west is now calling on president trump to commute bernard's sentence and she points out the prosecutor and five jurors in the case support clemency. democrats in spokane, washington, say an alleged bombing attempt at their office was a politically motivated attack. a man entered the local democrat's office claiming he had a bomb. they say he held a hostage before being arrested. no explosives were found. fire crews are at the scene of a house that exploded into a fireball in upstate new york. the explosion leveled the home and flames spread to other two

properties there in the town of gates near rochester, and witnesses say the blast sounded like a sonic boom. no one was injured. no word yet on the cause. time now for a look at your thursday weather. the radar shows the storm that dumped the season's first snow for virginia to new england, it's now giving way to milder conditions. a new storm is brewing in the southwest stretching from denver to colorado. it will bring heavy rain and up to a foot of snow in parts of new mexico and colorado. expect above normal temperatures in the midwest today. 50s in chicago. 40s from minneapolis to detroit, 60s in kansas city. also 60s and 70s across the south. mostly 40s in the northeast. coming up, the spy games between china and the u.s. allegedly involving sex, money and charm. but first the toy shortage looming this holiday season. it's not just a few popular toys in short supply. and the crash landing

back now with an explosive end to an otherwise successful test flight by spacex. the starship had just flown eight miles into space, and no one was on board. as it was starting to land in texas, spacex says there was a problem with the fuel system which caused the rocket to come down too fast and crash. >> it's going to go boom every once in a while, but the good thing about this is that there was no one on board. this is why you test things before you put people on board and make sure that they're going to work, so i don't think this is really a major setback for them. >> the starship is supposed to help put humans on mars in 2024. elon musk says despite the explosion, the mission provided good data. he optimistically tweeted, mars, here we come. we turn now to the holiday shopping season and a looming toy shortage.

it's not just the latest toys and gadgets that are in short supply. even some of the more traditional items are hard to find. abc's andrea fujii explains why. >> reporter: this morning, santa and his elves are working overtime. >> for christmas i want a hot wheels, please. >> i want a doggie and new barbie. >> i really, really want an electric scooter. >> reporter: but the coronavirus could cause a major toy shortage this christmas. playstations and xboxes are sold out almost everywhere, and nostalgic toys like puzzles, board games and even rubik's cubes arerd ha to find. >> there is a shortage and we are having a little bit of trouble getting the things that we want to get. >> reporter: the reason, the pandemic. toy sales overall are up nearly 20% this year. it all started months ago when families were forced to stay inside and parents bought toys to keep kids occupied. that led to unexpected demand and delays for manufacturers.

>> crafts are so, so popular right now the kids are home. they're in front of their screens a lot, and what we want is to get them away from it. >> reporter: and now new problems with shipping. the port of los angeles facing backlogs because of the pandemic with fewer trucks and low staffing levels. many workers need overtime to empty those cargo containers. >> we have about 20 vessels in port, which is a little bit higher than normal and 11 ships that are just outside waiting to enter. >> reporter: many come from asia where they're also backlogged. some ports reported delays up to three weeks, but shopping experts say there is hope. you don't always have to rely on shipping. >> if they are available, they'll be available through the normal retailers. you can still go to target. you can still go to walmart. >> reporter: shopping experts say even if a special toy is not on store shelves right now, it will get there soon. so they recommend santa give a gift certificate so that mom and dad can buy that favorite toy

when it's back in stock. mona, kenneth. >> great idea. thank you, andrea. coming up, a power plant collapses in the midwest. the search for survivors. also ahead, spy games between the u.s. and china allegedly involving intimate relationships and a u.s. congressman. hd 8. joints for the long term. osteo bi-flex. because i'm made to move.

with a touch of honey... plump, juicy raisins and tasty fiber into one delicious cereal? it took a lot of bran-storming. get it? kellogg's raisin bran crunch. two scoops of delicious. but today there's a combination of two immunotherapies you can take first. one that could mean... a chance to live longer. opdivo plus yervoy is for adults newly diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer that has spread and that tests positive for pd-l1 and does not have an abnormal egfr or alk gene. it's the first and only approved chemo-free combination of two immunotherapies that works together in different ways to harness the power of the immune system. opdivo plus yervoy equals a chance for more days. more nights. more beautiful weekends. more ugly sweaters. more big hugs. more small outings. opdivo and yervoy can cause your immune system to attack normal organs and tissues in your body and affect how they work.

this may happen during or after treatment has ended and can become serious and lead to death. some of these problems may happen more often when opdivo is used with yervoy. see your doctor right away if you have a new or worse cough; chest pain; shortness of breath; diarrhea; severe stomach pain; nausea or vomiting; dizziness; fainting; extreme tiredness; weight changes; constipation; excessive thirst; changes in urine or eyesight; rash; itching; confusion; memory problems; muscle pain or weakness; joint pain; flushing; fever; or tingling in hands and feet. these are not all the possible side effects. tell your doctor about all your medical conditions including immune system problems, or if you've had an organ transplant or lung, breathing, or liver problems. here's to a chance for more together time. a chance to live longer. ask your doctor about opdivo plus yervoy. thank you to all involved in our clinical trials. we are back with a demolition disaster in southwest ohio. a former power plant collapsed into a pile of rubble. three workers have been rescued

but two others are missing. the plant has been undergoing demolition for redevelopment. a woman suspected of spying for china is accused of targeting u.s. officials. the website axios reports alleged chinese intelligence operative christine fang used fund-raising, charm and sex to gain the trust of up and coming politicians hoping to change their minds on policy. she allegedly went after california congressman eric swalwell who was alerted by the fbi and is not accused of any wrongdoing, but axios says fang had romantic relationships with two mayors. >> so as they looked further into what she was doing, there was some major red flags and they put surveillance on her and that's when they mixed up some of her sexual activities and realized that she was getting close to some politicians. >> fang has reportedly returned to china. turning back to the coronavirus, the first over-the-counter covid test has just been approved. earlier i spoke with dr. alok patel. we also spoke about the covid vaccine and today's fda hearing. i want to get right to that new

warning from pfizer that people with a significant history of allergic reactions should not be given the coronavirus vaccine after two health care workers experienced symptoms in the uk. what concerns does this raise and who would you say falls under that category? >> off the bat i think it's kind of an overblown headline. what's important for the general public to know, we need more information about the case, number two, from the vaccine trials, there were no reports of severe allergies and also in general, the rate of anaphylaxis or severe allergy to vaccines is about 1.3 per million doses so take a deep breath and wait until we learn more. >> and there's a lot of talk that emergency use approval may be granted today. if that is the case, we're told the plan is to have about 3 million doses go out in the first shipment then another 3 million for the second shot. but in a country of 300 million people, what impact do you think that will have? >> off the bat, you know, if you just look at that number, it

doesn't seem like a lot, but it's important to understand those first doses are going to be to people who are most likely to catch or spread covid-19, also those high risk. now, seven days later if the moderna vaccine gets approved, there's an estimated extra 20 million doses in total. it seems like a small amount at first, but i think it's very important and crucial first step. >> dr. patel, i also want to talk about testing. the fda approved an at home covid test that does not require a prescription. what are your thoughts on how it works and would it be an alternative to waiting in long lines? >> off the bat it's definitely an alternative. it doesn't require a prescription. people can get it over the counter. you take a nasal swab, it's a pcr test. if negative it's all good. you get an email. if positive, a health professional will talk to you about what to do. people need to understand these are to be taken responsibly and just because you have a negative test from a kit doesn't mean you're home free. and i hope people still take the usual precautions and kind of use these tests in sequence with other protective measures. >> our thanks to dr. patel.

coming up, the cookie shortage this holiday. also a chance to sleep over at a famous toy store. ♪ chicago! okay, so, magnificent mile for me! i thought i was managing my moderate to severe crohn's disease. until i realized something was missing me. you okay, sis? my symptoms were keeping me from really being there for my sisters. so i talked to my doctor and learned that's us. (reacting to boarding announcement) humira is for people who still have symptoms of crohn's disease after trying other medications. the majority of people on humira saw significant symptom relief in as little as 4 weeks. and many achieved remission that can last. humira can lower your ability to fight infections. serious and sometimes fatal infections, including tuberculosis, and cancers, including lymphoma, ...have happened, as have blood, liver, and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure. tell your doctor if you've been to areas where certain fungal infections are common and if you've had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have flu-like symptoms or sores. don't start humira if you have an infection.

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gold bond champion your skin ♪ time to check "the pulse." we begin with the message about eyeglasses. >> it started with a morning anchor at our chicago station where viewers saw tanja babich wearing glasses on air. >> tanja there revealed she's wearing them to boost her daughter's confidence. >> here's the story. i learned last week that one of my daughters was not wearing hers because she was afraid of what people in her class would say or think about her. so in a gesture of solidarity i've been wearing mine all week to make this point, whatever people say or think about you is none of your business. just be yourself authentically and unapologetically.

the rest will work itself out. >> tanja and her colleagues made a, quote, spectacle and the video has now racked up thousands of views, shoutout to our friends at wls. >> definitely. next a warning about a shortage of your favorite cookies. >> we're talking about pepperidge farms, the popular milanos and chessmen might be hard to find. >> since the pandemic began our cookie consumption is up 25%. next a gift that just keeps on giving. it started with a customer at dairy queen drive-through in minnesota. >> they picked up the tab for the car behind them then the second customer paid it forward by doing the same for the next car. >> get this, the chain of generosity lasted for two whole days, 900 people paid it forward. >> nice! finally an overnight for the young and the young at heart. >> it's a chance to spend the night at new york's most famous toy store. fao schwarz has teamed up with airbnb to let one family

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we may be able to help. a nivea breathable experiment. now they do. moisturizes deeply with no sticky feel. the game changing nivea breathable. you want them to feel like the only kid in the world. moisturizes deeply with no sticky feel. but this year, it made it really difficult to have a birthday party. my mom took me to chick-fil-a. chick-fil-a just goes above and beyond. i knew that they would make it special. there was like a little note for a mobile order that said, can you please sing happy birthday? they sung happy birthday to me and i cried. hd 4 what is that? a cookie? thank you!

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now at 5:00, a grim milestone in the pandemic. more americans died from covid-19 yesterday than in the september 11th attacks. we're hearing from a doctor who has worked 11 days straight as we see a new and devastating surge. it could be a pivotal day in the fight against coronavirus. the fda possibly approving pfizer's vaccine as soon as today. what we can expect from the hearing. and a live look outside. mike is looking ahead to our weekend. he has the timeline for a few days of rain. good morning, everybody. it is friday eve, thursday, december 10th. >> all right. let's see what those rain chances are. hey, mike. >> hi, everybody. no rain chances today, but tomorrow night is when the rain starts to roll in. it's good enough we put a storm impact scale on it of a 1. we'll talk more about that coming up. want to get you out the door in case you have to leave. as you look at live doppler 7, it is quiet.